Precious metals glossary

Fineness indicates how much pure precious metal an alloy contains, expressed in parts per thousand.

Carat is the English-speaking world's measure of gold content, with 24 carat corresponding to pure gold.

333 gold consists of one-third pure gold and is the lowest commonly used gold alloy in Germany.

585 gold contains 58.5% pure gold and is the most popular gold alloy for jewellery in Germany.

750 gold contains 75% pure gold and is regarded as a high-quality alloy for fine jewellery.

White, red and rose gold are gold alloys that differ only in their additional metals, not their fineness.

An alloy is a mixture of a precious metal and other metals, affecting hardness, colour and value.

Sterling silver consists of 92.5% pure silver and is the standard for high-quality silver jewellery.

A troy ounce is the international unit of weight for precious metals and equals 31.1035 grams.

The Krugerrand is the world's oldest and most traded bullion coin and contains exactly one troy ounce of fine gold.

A hallmark is a stamped mark indicating a precious metal item's fineness and often its maker.

Gold- and silver-plated items have only a thin precious metal coating and therefore little material value.

X-ray fluorescence analysis determines a precious metal's fineness non-destructively in seconds.

Fine weight is the amount of pure precious metal in an item; gross weight is everything on the scale.

The spot price is the current market price for a precious metal and the basis of every fair buying price.

The buying rate is the percentage of spot price you actually receive when selling.

After one year of ownership, gains from a private gold sale are tax-free in Germany.

Investment gold is exempt from VAT in Germany, unlike silver and platinum.

How the gold price is formed, what spot price and buying rate mean, and how to calculate a fair daily value for your precious metals.

Scrap gold is broken or incomplete gold jewellery bought solely for its material value.

Silver tableware includes solid silver cutlery and dishes, bought according to weight and fineness.

When buying precious metals, Germany's Anti-Money Laundering Act requires valid ID above certain amounts.

A Scheideanstalt is a refinery that separates precious metals from old gold and alloys to recover pure material.

The complete guide to selling gold: check fineness, calculate value and sell safely at the best price.

Selling silver made easy: distinguish solid from plated silver and sell cutlery, coins or bars fairly.

Trauringe are wedding rings. A pair can belong together while having different widths, sizes and finishes.

A Solitär is a piece of jewellery with a single prominent gemstone. As a ring, it is often chosen for an engagement.

Ring size in our configurator refers to the inner circumference in millimetres. Size 54 corresponds to an inner diameter of approximately 17.2 mm.

A comfort-fit interior is the gentle curve on the inside of a ring. The ring profile describes its cross-section.

A ring engraving makes a ring personal with a name, date or short text. Lettering, space and execution are checked before production.

For diamonds, carat, abbreviated ct, measures weight: 1 ct equals 0.2 grams. Gold carat, however, describes fineness.

The 4Cs describe diamonds by Carat (weight), Color (colour), Clarity and Cut. Together they help you compare.

A lab-grown diamond forms under controlled conditions. It is a diamond with a different origin from a naturally formed stone.

With an old gold trade-in, the agreed buying value of your old items is put towards new rings. The final value is determined after inspection.